Betacyanin pigment in red Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) peel extract as an alternative tracking dye for gel electrophoresis

Abstract

The advent of molecular and genetic engineering resulted in an increasing fascination with everything related to DNA. Bromophenol blue (BPB), Orange G, Pyronin Y, Xylene Cyanol are the usual colour markers used to monitor the process of agarose gel electrophoresis. However, studies show that the chemical, physical and toxicological properties of these colourants are harmful to users. This study endeavours to investigate the potential of the betacyanin pigment from red dragon fruit peel extract as an environment-friendly, biodegradable and cheaper alternative loading and tracking dye for gel electrophoresis.Using UV/Vis Analysis, the researcher finds that betacyanin was present at 534 nm of the spectrophotometer. Using the standard protocols of 100 volts and 60-minute monitoring on the electrophoresis apparatus, the sustainability of betacyanin from the dragon fruit peel extract was tested both as loading and as tracking dye. During the process, the Dragon Fruit extract applied to the DNA sample did not float and stayed put. This may be caused by the glucose content of the fruit peel, which is an essential component of loading dyes as preventive measures in any case wherein the DNA samples may float. It travelled across the gel at the same rate and time as the commercially available tracking dye. Photographed images show that the bands of the DNA tracked by the betacyanin extract are comparable to the commercially available tracking dye. In conclusion, the betacyanin extract from dragon fruit peel is a viable alternative tracking and loading dye for gel electrophoresis.